Glenorchy swimming dangers highlighted in coroner's reports

Two drownings within a week at a Glenorchy swimming spot last summer have prompted a coroner to urge more steps be taken in the district to keep the public safe in and around rivers.

The victims - 48-year-old Wānaka father Leroy Rodney James Kaaho and 35-year-old Sydney holidaymaker Jonathan Jordan Young - died days apart after entering Lake Wakatipu in attempts to save children already in the water and in trouble.

In both incidents, swimmers were caught out by the force of flow from the Rees River, where it enters the lake.

Two separate new reports by coroner Meenal Duggal acknowledge the "positive steps" taken to improve safety since the drownings, but urge additional action be taken.

"Considering that there have been two drownings of similar circumstances in one week at Lake Wakatipu and Rees River, I am of the view that further efforts need to be made to ensure the safety of the public in this area," Ms Duggal says in both reports.

The Queenstown Lakes District Council since the drownings has installed new signage at the trouble spot, has supplied life rings on a nearby jetty and at the river mouth, and is in the process of building a rope structure to outline a preferred swimming area, she notes.

But her conclusion is more can be done to ensure people understand the dangers of swimming in rivers, which she says are responsible for more drownings than any other water source.

The force of a river is often underestimated, the water generally colder than that of pools or seas, and the environment more likely to change from day to day and include obstacles, like rocks, that can trap swimmers, she warns.

Locally, Ms Duggal is recommending a ramped up public awareness campaign on swimming safely in and around rivers that includes targeting tourists.

"I endorse the council’s campaign to ensure water safety in the district’s lakes, including increased signage, further communication efforts with the public regarding water safety in lakes and rivers and increased communication efforts during summer months," she says.

"I also encourage the council to continue raising awareness and educating the public on the risks and hazards present in its lakes and rivers, particularly Lake Wakatipu.

"These campaigns should be easily accessible for tourists or non-locals, who may not be aware of the dangers associated with New Zealand’s rivers and lakes."

Initially, in the days following the fatal incidents, concerned locals in Glenorchy put up their own 'no swimming' signs on the beach, with posts to social media urging visitors to ask for directions to 'family-friendly' swimming spots.

What went wrong?

Mr Kaaho, a strong swimmer and diver, died on January 13, 2023, in an attempt to rescue his son.

The boy and another sibling had gone for a swim in Lake Wakatipu near the jetty and had been caught in the flow of the Rees River. 

Less than three metres from his son, Mr Kaaho himself got into difficulty, and he began yelling for help.

Mr Kaaho's son was rescued and brought to shore by a passing member of the public, however the rescuer watched Mr Kaaho slip beneath the water.

Mr Kaaho's body was located the following day, at a depth of 25 metres, by police divers.

Less than a week later, on January 19, Mr Young, another competent swimmer, visited the area while on holiday with fiancé Hsu Lae Tin.

Mr Young responded, along with several other passers-by, to the screams of a mother calling for help after watching her son drift out into the lake from the river mouth.

Mr Young was the second person to reach the child, and was able to pull him a few metres, before getting into trouble himself and drifting apart.

He was seen by witnesses floating on his back less than seven metres from the shore, before disappearing under the water.

Mr Young's body was found by police divers the following day.

Another rescuer on the same day, who made it back to shore safely, reported feeling a "massive undercurrent" pulling him towards the bottom of the lake during the rescue attempt.

Main image (Facebook/Chanelle O'Sullivan): The Queenstown Lakes District Council followed a move by local residents, in installing swimming warning signs on a Glenorchy beach.